Loughborough, Sister
NP
1854 Winter
Portions of this letter are published in 10MR 20. See also Annotations.
Dear Sister Loughborough:
The Lord shewed me that the field of your husband’s labors was west, that his work was not east. I saw that the hungry sheep West must be fed and that Brother John would have trials to pass through and much to bear from opposers. When he shall have finished his errands that the Lord has sent him on and shall return home for rest and sympathy, you must be prepared to sympathize with him, and to comfort him and hold up his hands. He must not come home to be burdened and to hold up your hands, but you must be prepared to hold up his hands by kind, sympathizing words, and by your prayers. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 1
I saw that his heart often suffered many pangs, that if you had been careful of your words and yielding, he would not have felt. I saw that you have not realized your duty to your husband. He has and does still fondly love you, but there has not been that tenderness on your part towards him and for him that there should be. Often things have been said which would barrow up the soul, and cause him deep sorrow; often you have talked for the sake of talking, which wounded your husband and caused him sorrow and distress. I saw that you had not loved as he has loved, your affections have been too much divided. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 2
Your friends have taken too much of your sympathy. There has not been boldness enough on your part when you have been with them, there has been a shunning or shrinking from letting them know that the interest of your husband, and yourself, was in heaven, and not on the earth. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 3
You have sought to please your friends altogether too much, and if you would have eternal life you must cut loose from relatives and acquaintances and not seek to please them but have your eye single to the glory of God, and serve Him with your whole heart. This will not wean you from your husband at all, but will draw you closer to him, and cause you to leave father, mother, sisters and brothers and friends and cleave to your husband, and love him better than anyone on earth, and make his wishes your wishes. And you can live in harmony and happiness. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 4
I saw that you had often teased and fretted him until he would speak impatiently to you. This I saw on both sides was all wrong. God has given the man the preference; he is the head and the wife is to obey the husband, and the husband is not to be bitter against the wife, but love her as his own body. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 5
Dear Sister, I saw that you were not half given up to God, not half consecrated to Him. Your will was not swallowed up in the will of God. And you must get ready, fitted and prepared for Christ’s coming, or you will come short, be weighed in the balance and found wanting. You must be more devoted to God, more in earnest about your soul’s salvation and your eternal interest. I saw that if you would labor with your husband for God, you would not lose your reward. That is, labor to have him free and not lay a feather in his way but cheer, encourage, and hold him up by your prayers. God will notice it and will reward you. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 6
In love. 1LtMs, Lt 6, 1854, par. 7